Four Takeaways From Hegseth's Confirmation Hearing President-elect Donald J. Trump's pick for defense secretary said nothing that would alienate the Republican senators on the Armed Services Committee.
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| Four Takeaways From Hegseth’s Confirmation Hearing |
Tuesday's four-hour hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee was strikingly contentious. Democrats derided him as blatantly unqualified to oversee the Defense Department's three million employees and $849 billion budget. Republicans acknowledged that he was an unconventional pick, but said he was just what the Pentagon needed. Senator Joni Ernst, an influential Iowa Republican member of the panel, said after the hearing that she had been won over.
Here are four takeaways from the hearing:
Hegseth looks as if he has the votes to get out of committee.
Hegseth appears to have the votes he needs to emerge from the committee. For all the fireworks of the proceeding, it appears Mr. Hegseth has the votes he needs to get ahead. None of his responses seemed to cause trouble for Republicans on the committee.
A vote is set for Monday after President-elect Donald J. Trump takes the oath and Mr. Hegseth's nomination is official.
Just over five weeks ago, an experienced responsible advocate on sexual assault issues and military issues commented publicly to Mr. Hegseth about some of her qualms, Ms. Ernst.
But hard-liners backing Mr. Trump ran ads in Ms. Ernst's home state, attacked her on social media for not being Republican enough, and even threatened primary challenges against her in 2026 to make her fall into line behind Mr. Hegseth as the nominee.
She vowed to support him just hours after her hearing ended when she appeared on WHO Newsradio 1040, a Des Moines radio station.
READ MORE: Pete Hegseth confirmation hearing votes
She was courteous to Mr. Hegseth during the questioning session. She maintained the persistent hounding on speaking of auditing the Pentagon-adequate subject, at any rate. She pushed him into reiterating again, privately as before, what she claimed he already has done-tell her, namely: a senior officer would be assigned to work even more intensely in implementing the recommendation made earlier concerning putting a halt to sexual assault and rape within the military.
Her endorsement, barring a change of heart, puts Mr. Hegseth on a clear course to Senate confirmation. Ms. Ernst was seen as the key vote whose vote could shift other Republicans into his camp. With her on board, his prospects for success are now even better.
Hegseth portrayed his life as a story of redemption.
Hegseth told his life as one of redemption. Mr. Hegseth was repeatedly unwilling to say whether an accusation of sexual assault or excessive drinking or marital infidelity should disqualify someone from leading the Pentagon. He also promised not to say that he'd resign if he were to break his promise not to drink if confirmed.
In general, he skirted specific allegations about his personal conduct, simply claiming that he had been the victim of false allegations by anonymous sources, circulated by media organizations he said were determined to destroy him.
“I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” he said at one point. He also said, “I have failed in things in my life, and thankfully I’m redeemed by my lord and savior Jesus.”
The one senator who seemed to get under his skin was Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia. Mr. Kaine pressed him about the allegation that he raped a woman in 2017 in Monterey, Calif., while he was married to his second wife and two months after his girlfriend, now his third wife, had given birth to his child.
The episode resulted in no criminal charges. Mr. Hegseth settled for an undisclosed amount of money with the woman and said that the encounter was consensual.
"So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime?" Mr. Kaine demanded. "How do you explain your judgment?"
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